One breast producing less milk than the other?

3392 Views 9 Replies 10 Participants Last post by crysmomofthree, Mar 30, 2006

LeslieB

Discussion Starter · Mar 30, 2006

Is it normal for one breast to make less milk than the other? I had a hunch this was happening and it was confirmed when I started pumping. I used an electric double breast pump and in the same amount of time, one breast pumped 4 oz. while the other only made 1 oz. I've also noticed that my son will feed off that breast for a much longer time and then get really antsy, pull himself off and start crying. I can still express milk from that breast, but it's very little and seems to be coming out of only one hole. So I'll move him to the other breast, and he starts guzzling as if he's starving; that breast seems to have 3 or 4 good streams. Could it just be the flow out of one is just too slow? If so, is there anything I can do about it?

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RuRuMom

· #2 · Mar 30, 2006

I BF both my DSs, and experienced the same thing -- my right breast pumped 5+ ounces and my left 2-3 ounces. I never looked to do anything about it, because it didn't seem to cause any issue with BFing for us. I would always offer the other breast when he was finished with the first, and switched sides each time. I hope someone has some advice for you since it seems to be bothering you and your DS. I just wanted to let you know that I think it's pretty common.

Good luck!

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ctdoula

· #3 · Mar 30, 2006

YES.... very normal!

nak

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Tori Gollihugh

· #4 · Mar 30, 2006

I experienced this as well - even more pronounced when pumping. I know because I timed DD on each booby and found that she pretty much spent the same amount of time AND it sounded like she was getting stuff for around the same amount of time on each boob. A pump really isn't the best way to test the boobs since our babes are SO much more effecient at getting the milks out!

Don't worry about it, though. Some women have even dried up on one side and continued to have a successful and enjoyable nursing relationship with DC!

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Ruthla

· #5 · Mar 30, 2006

Yup, perfectly normal. As long as you're making enough milk for the baby, it doesn't matter which side it's coming from.

Think about it. Most people have one foot bigger than the other, one eye bigger than the other, one hand bigger than the other, one breast bigger than the other. Why wouldn't milk production follow a similar pattern? It's not necessarily the bigger breast that produces more milk, but just another example of how we're not perfectly symmetrical.

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krizty

· #6 · Mar 30, 2006

Yep same thing here! I noticed whatever side dd feeds on all night long produces more milk the next day. Try having your son use your other side as a pacifier for awhile.. it should even everything out a little more.

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cj'smommy

· #7 · Mar 30, 2006

Same here, in fact we call the one side the "big producer" because it has a lot more than the other side.

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operamommy

· #8 · Mar 30, 2006

Same here too! All three of my children have preferred my left breast, and I never knew why till I began relactating (so pumping a lot). The left produces at least twice as much as the right side. *sigh* I wouldn't mind having a matching set, though. The size difference is getting noticeable!

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lrlittle

· #9 · Mar 30, 2006

i have a friend like this...at 9 mos. her ds started HATING her left breast and wouldn't take that side. she almost quit bfing because of it. then she went to a la leche league meeting, realized what was going on...only a couple of streams and a lot less milk. she started exclusively feeding off the right side which she did until he was 2 years old. she said she was lopsided, but that's what worked for them!

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crysmomofthree

· #10 · Mar 30, 2006

yes very common, I have a "meal" side and a "snack" side lol

and when I was pg my "snack" side dried up but I still had milk in the meal side, ds refused the snack side anymore

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